One of the things I've been wondering is, what would it be like if they made a new Dune movie, and hold on, this is just an idle suggestion, what if George Lucas made a Dune re-make? If he could avoid making it too much like Star Wars? Now don't be too mad, I was just wondering if anyone else thinks he could do it. If not, do you think there should be a remake of Dune and if so, who should direct it? Sorry, should have posted this in the Dune Media section, can't figure out how to move it.

And considering how much Frank disliked Star Wars, yeah I think he'd consider it sacrilege.

Besides, you don't need a Lucas movie: the scripts for the prequels make only the tiniest bit more sense than anything KJA wrote, so the new 'Dune' books give a pretty good impression of what a Lucas Dune would look like.

Even though FH apparently felt Lucas had ripped him off, I've always considered the argument a bit silly. Star Wars is a mix of a bunch of different things, and we know that the main inspirations were Flash Gordon (which gives plucky rebels fighting an evil empire), Kurosawa movies (with the samurai being probably the main template for the jedi) and Campbell's account of the hero's journey (which provides the main beats of Luke's story). Sure, Dune was also in the mix, and Lucas gives it a tip of the hat by having C-3PO mention "spice mines", but much of what they have in common are pretty common genre elements and story tropes.

You could probably build a stronger case that Dune is a ripoff of Lawrence of Arabia.

It's a ridiculous hypothetical because there isn't much chance for Lucas to adapt the novel(s) either in the past or now. It's no more a realistic topic than imagining Welles directing a Flash Gordon movie.

I'd rather consider directors who actually expressed an interest or attempted it.

I still long for the George Lucas who directed the first Star Wars and THX-1138. Of course, the directors behind Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi improved on some of Lucas' flaws in the first Star Wars, but I liked how he started with both THX and Star Wars. If I wanted to do a Dune film that was filmed in the vein of Lucas' earlier sci-fi outings, I would just acquire the artists and special effects guys who worked on those movies rather than Lucas himself. Or at least find guys who could employ a skillful imitation of the special effects and art direction of those films. I think it would be very interesting to visualize Dune in the art style of the first Star Wars movies as an artistic challenge. The art style for such a Dune movie (or at least Dune concept art or a fan film), doesn't have to look directly like Star Wars, but just enough in that vein that you can tell that it's Star Wars-styled. I would especially like to see a version of Dune which implements the art direction of Flash Gordon, be it the original serials or the 80s film. Doing different artistic interpretations of one story has always fascinated me.

'...all those who took part in the rise and fall of the Dune project learned how to fall one and one thousand times with savage obstinacy until learning how to stand. I remember my old father who, while dying happy, said to me: "My son, in my life, I triumphed because I learned how to fail."' -Alejandro Jodorowsky

Naib wrote:I'd be willing to see what Chris Nolan could do with Dune. Inception was great and he might, might, have the sensibilities to do a Dune film justice.

He might. It's just that Chris Nolan has kind of lost perspective about how his ideas come across to his audience and has become little bit convoluted recently, especially in his last two Dark Knight films. Don't get me wrong: I very much admire Chris Nolan, and I have a fan of him ever since I first watched Memento, and I liked how he approached Batman in Batman Begins. It's just that I'm afraid he might convolute and ruin Dune with the same mistakes that his did in Dark Knight Rises. However....

Perhaps Frank Herbert's original words from the book could suit Nolan's film style. Just write him a faithful script of Dune, and he might do it justice. If does direct it, I'd want Tom Hardy, who was Charlie "Fucking" Bronson in BRONSON (2007) and Bane in TDKR, as the Baron Harkonnen.... Yeah, I like that idea.

Of course, if he ever does direct, you'd need to make sure that he doesn't go off on his tangents.

'...all those who took part in the rise and fall of the Dune project learned how to fall one and one thousand times with savage obstinacy until learning how to stand. I remember my old father who, while dying happy, said to me: "My son, in my life, I triumphed because I learned how to fail."' -Alejandro Jodorowsky

'...all those who took part in the rise and fall of the Dune project learned how to fall one and one thousand times with savage obstinacy until learning how to stand. I remember my old father who, while dying happy, said to me: "My son, in my life, I triumphed because I learned how to fail."' -Alejandro Jodorowsky

To be honest, I don't think that any mainstream Hollywood director should direct adaptation of Dune. Now some mainstream, rich producer...

Nicolas Winding Refn announced that he will adapt the comic book as a live-action film. After that, maybe he could make Dune. Sure, some may say, that as Jodorowsky fan he would aim to do Jodorowskys version of Dune, rather than loyal adaptation, but some may argue that The Incal is Jodorowskys Dune, that lead's to another question, why if Nicolas already made Jodorowskys Dune, why would he want to do Frank's Dune? Well Somebody has to.

I rarely post because most of the time I feel I have nothing to add

There is nothing to fear but fear itself for Fear is the mind-killer.Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. Fear kills me over and over. Without fear, I die but once.

Crizius wrote:To be honest, I don't think that any mainstream Hollywood director should direct adaptation of Dune. Now some mainstream, rich producer...

Nicolas Winding Refn announced that he will adapt the comic book as a live-action film. After that, maybe he could make Dune. Sure, some may say, that as Jodorowsky fan he would aim to do Jodorowskys version of Dune, rather than loyal adaptation, but some may argue that The Incal is Jodorowskys Dune, that lead's to another question, why if Nicolas already made Jodorowskys Dune, why would he want to do Frank's Dune? Well Somebody has to.

Jodorowsky's Dune is best suited to be completed by Jodorowsky himself. I'm all for directors doing their own unique approach to Dune, whether very faithful or very radical in its adaptation. I am not aware of Nicolas Winding Refn's work, I'll check him out on your recommendation.

'...all those who took part in the rise and fall of the Dune project learned how to fall one and one thousand times with savage obstinacy until learning how to stand. I remember my old father who, while dying happy, said to me: "My son, in my life, I triumphed because I learned how to fail."' -Alejandro Jodorowsky

I don't see any possibility of making Dune movie in nowadays era. Problem with Dune is that it would need tremendous budget and lowest common denominator audience to fund it - which would dumb the movie down. And it needs to be dumbed down - because whatever we think there are not as many people who would like to go to a Dune movie. To picture the first book it would take at least three movies so I don't think any studio would do it. Jodorovsky?... okay but those were different times - de Laurentis was basically a very rich dude who didn't know what to do with all his gold and paintings, this is what movie producers in Europe rolled in the 70s. Not possible now (with the exception of Musk).

The only way I see a Dune motion picture is by animated series or by big budget tv-series (like game of thrones). But this would take Bobo&Hack taking out head from their asses. I mean Bobo didn't even greenlight the Dune boardgame by FFG (the BEST boardgame company!) they have to change the setting to original Twilight Empire. I see either some behind the courtian conspiracies or just lack of imagination in possible capitalisation of Dune potential.